~ Just daily updates on the world of European royals, both dead and not so dead

November 16th

No major events today!
Birthdays:
1836 – The last King of Hawaii, Kalakaua was born in Honolulu. He was elected to become King in 1874 by the Hawaiian Legislature. He would be succeeded by his sister, Liliuokalani in 1891.

Deaths:
1093 – Queen consort of Scotland, and future Saint, Margaret of Scotland died today in Edinburgh. She was born to the exiled Anglo-Saxon King Edward in Hungary, but came back to England as a child, only to flee to Scotland during the Norman Invasion. Two of her sons would be Kings of Scots and she would be canonized as a Saint in 1250.

1272 – Henry III of England, son of the infamous King John died at age 65. He became King at age 9 and reigned for a total of 56 years, the first monarch to rule for over 50 years. His son, Edward I would succeed him, but not for another 2 years later, as he was fighting in the Ninth Crusade at the time of Henry’s death.

1832 – Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden was killed in the Battle of Lützen during the Thirty Years War. He is known as one of the most effective European military leaders and is known as “The Father of Modern Warfare”.

1797 – Frederick William II of Prussia died in Potsdam, leaving a country in bankruptcy and chaos. He made poor decisions as to where to intervene militarily and was known in Prussia as “The Fat Bastard”.

1878 – The young young Princess Marie of Hesse and by Rhine died of diphtheria at age four after the illness worked its way through her family and also claiming the life of her mother, Princess Alice of the United Kingdom. She was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria and younger sister to the future Empress Alexandra of Russia.

1903 – Little Marie’s future niece, Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, died of accidental poisoning at age 8. She was visiting her aunt and uncle , Nicholas II and Alexandra in Russia. The poison was meant for Nicholas.